Improving the recognition, assessment and response to patients admitted to A&E with an infection Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The Central Manchester University Hospitals team used the Safer Clinical Systems process to improve patient safety for adults admitted to the A&E department at Manchester Royal Infirmary. This work followed an earlier Safer Clinical Systems project which had focused on the care pathway for children with complex medical problems at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

The A&E project aimed to achieve more timely recognition, assessment and treatment of patients with an infection or a potential infection. The team identified risks within the care pathway for this group of patients and developed interventions to address them. Specific areas that the team explored included:

• rapid identification of potentially septic patients and timely escalation to senior medical staff
• use of correct equipment to deliver the Sepsis Six care bundle
• effective communication across teams, including medication requests and clear documentation in patient notes.

Contact details

For further information about the project, please email Sarah Ingleby, Project Manager at Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.